April employment was up an estimated 0.9 percent, or a 2,800 job increase from April 2018, according to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Construction added the largest number of jobs (1,800), followed by health care and oil and gas, which each added 500 jobs.
Manufacturing jobs are down, with a decline of 700 jobs, mostly in the seafood processing sector. Financial services and information technology dropped 500 jobs.
Federal jobs in Alaska also declined by 200, but was made up for by local government jobs, which grew by 200, and state government jobs, which grew by 100.
Alaska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 6.5 percent, and the comparable national rate fell to 3.6 percent.
Not‐seasonally adjusted rates have fallen in nearly every area of the state as summer ramps up.
Unemployment rates increased slightly in Aleutians East Borough and Aleutians West Census Area, although they remained among the state’s lowest due to winter fishing.
The state’s largest decline in unemployment was in Bristol Bay Borough, where the rate fell from 14.9 percent in March to 7.7 percent in April as the area’s fishing activity picked up.
The unemployment rate in Anchorage is 5.1 percent; Fairbanks 5.8 percent and Juneau 4.6 percent. Sitka had 4.2 percent unemployment and Kodiak was at 5.1 percent.
Suzanne,
Is there any way to figure out what departments “made up for by local government jobs, which grew by 200, and state government jobs, which grew by 100”? While it’s great that the overall employment is slightly up, I think this part of the article is terrible news!
It was odd, I will agree, to see state and local inch up. I’ll check. – sd
Of course — it’s summer. Happens every year.
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